1. Technical Field
This present invention relates generally to devices for holding and enclosing products and to security devices or tags for use with such devices to substantially prevent or deter theft. More particularly, it relates to a container or package for a product having a security device or tag with an optical sensor.
2. Description of Related Art
Many types of containers are known for consumer products, including cosmetics, such as perfumes and makeup, electronic devices, such as cellular phones, MP3 players, cameras, navigation systems, as well as other types of products that are housed in different types of packaging.
A problem encountered with such known apparatuses is the removal and theft of a product for sale from the apparatus within a store selling such products. The product is usually provided within a container which is provided with a security tag which triggers an alarm if the container is taken out of the store without the tag first being removed or rendered inactive by staff in the store. However, it has been found that thieves may be able to remove a product from the packaging, thereby thwarting the use of a security tag. They then leave the empty container on the shelf and leave the store with the product outside of the packaging without triggering the alarm system.
There are also other ways thieves can try to avoid the existing security measures taken by stores selling products. Security tags are often provided on the external surface of the products or their packaging, and thieves may, for instance, remove or disable these. Known devices can simply be peeled off or deactivated by use of magnets or other methods. Generally, known tags do not include their own alarm as a whole, or provide monitoring function(s) to determine if a package has been opened and/or the product removed (from the package) and to self-alarm if a product is removed from the package. Current and known tags are typically deactivated at checkout, which is not very secure with regards to the product or contents in the package.
Cardboard is an example of a cheaper packaging material that is not capital intensive and decorates well and easily. However, because cardboard is a weaker material (e.g., as compared to molded plastic), containers made of cardboard can more easily be broken into, resulting its product being removed, or security tag(s) being peeled off
For reasons like these, many stores only display empty containers and when a customer has made a selection, the staff retrieves the relevant product from a secure cupboard or safe and places it in the container for the customer. Often devices called safers or keepers, e.g., polycarbonate clear boxes for holding and storing products, are provided with a lock for use in stores. However, this takes additional time and requires an additional secure storage place for the products. It also increases the risk that the wrong product may be put in the container, especially if the staff is busy. The stores would also prefer for the products to be held within the boxes on display as this is more appealing to a potential customer than an empty box (and has been shown to significantly increase sales). There is therefore a desire within the trade to be able to display product containers with the relevant product already held therein; such a practice being known as “live” storage within the trade.
Other options include a spider wrap, or a system of wires, that is provided around containers or the package, with a central hub that carries the alarm and EAS. Such a system tends to be unstable and fiddly, and the wires can be slipped off of the product by thieves. It also covers any artwork of the container or package, making product details more difficult to read, less atheistically pleasing, and making it a more clumsy sell. Packaging is meant to promote and help sell the product.
Prior art devices for increasing the security of such containers, such as safers, “keepers”, or “spider” type security devices, tend to be bulky and expensive, difficult to handle, unaesthetically pleasing, and/or limited to application of specific types of packages (e.g., media containers). WO Publication No. 97/02569, U.S. Pat. No. 7,404,484, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,315,253, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, show examples of such types of known devices.
However, existing containers and security devices do not adequately alert a retailer when a container is being tampered with in order to steal a product inside of the container in order to thwart the security system of the retail environment. Therefore, a need exists for a product container having an improved security device.